Chapter 4 - THE ENVELOPE DENISE LEFT ON THE TABLE
Rachel came over that evening.
Not because she had actually had an emergency.
Because by then I did.
I showed her the tablet.
The call log.
The messages.
Then something happened that neither of us expected.
My cousin Aaron called.
He had been at the barbecue.
“Clara?”
“What?”
“I think you need to know something.”
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
“Denise left a folder on the patio table when she went inside.”
“What folder?”
“I only saw the top page.”
He hesitated.
“It had Eli’s name on it.”
I went cold.
“What did it say?”
“Temporary Guardianship Assessment.”
Silence.
Aaron continued:
“I thought maybe you knew.”
“No.”
“I took a picture because after you left, your mom said something weird.”
“What?”
“She told Denise, ‘We’ll get another chance.’”
My hand started trembling.
Aaron sent the photograph.
The document was not a court order.
Not official custody.
A draft intake form from a private family-law firm.
Potential client:
Denise Warren.
Child:
Eli Carter.
Relationship:
Maternal aunt.
Reason for inquiry:
Concerns regarding financial instability, emotional volatility, and inadequate nutrition in custodial home.
Inadequate nutrition.
I stared at those words.
Then remembered Denise laughing:
Even dog food looks better than that.
They had deliberately served my son garbage while filming the scene.
Not because they expected anyone to believe I had cooked it.
Because they wanted a video of me losing control over food and money.
Something they could later describe however they wanted.
Rachel whispered:
“This was planned.”
I nodded.
Then read the final line.
Potential financial resources available for minor if guardianship changes.
Financial resources?
I looked at Rachel.
“What money?”
Neither of us knew.
May you like
But my mother did.
---
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